The Spring's Light
by Prylith
Summary: It was childish, they both knew that. They were sworn enemies, they bickered and they fought for one man's attention and affection. He did it out of respect and loyalty, while she tried her best with her pure heart. But they both didn't anticipate that one of them would surrender and withdraw from the war.
1. A Matter of Possession

Greetings everyone! This is my first KHR fanfic for my favorite pairing, GokuaxHaru ~ Feedback would be appreciated, especially about the characterization. I'm not as familiar with Gokudera and Haru compared to the other characters from my other works, so your reviews would really help!

I like to keep these author's notes short because I know a majority of readers tend to skip over them (I tend to sometimes).

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**Disclaimer: I don't own KHR or any of its characters.**

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Chapter 1

A Matter of Possession

There was finally peace along the streets of the small but thriving town as the sky glowed with a soft tint of orange. Slowly, the warmth began to consume the specks of blue and purple, the remnants of the previous night. The sun towered over the cozy houses as it basked the town in an angelic radiance as it slowly made its graceful ascent towards the sky.

The shy rays of sunlight slipped in through the small gaps between the curtains, tenderly caressing her soft but redden cheeks. The skin of her forehead creased as her eyebrows moved together twisting her face into a slight scowl.

"Haru...must...wake up…" She mumbled as she rolled onto her side.

_Beep Beep Beep Beep_

Sighing, the girl turned off her alarm clock as she slowly sat up in her bed. Rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes she raised an arm above her head and stretched her back. Pushing her covers back, she grabbed her uniform hanging on her closet door and changed as quickly as possible.

Straightening out her green skirt, she adjusted her school tie as she pulled her soft, brown hair into a pony tail.

Tying her hair quickly she skipped out of her room and headed downstairs, "Good morning Mum!"

Her mother smiled, "Did you sleep well?"

Taking a piece of toast, Haru ate it quickly before she gulped down her cup of juice. Her mother watched on as she wolfed down her meal before setting her lunch box on the table.

"Eat slowly or you'll choke dear."

Haru nodded as she finished the last piece. Leaving her seat, she made her way to the bathroom and brushed her teeth.

_Haru must hurry or Haru will miss out on her fateful encounter…_

Taking the lunch box wrapped neatly in a blue colored cloth from the table she hurried towards the door, "I'm leaving now!"

"Take care!" Her mother shouted as Haru dashed out the door.

Carrying the small package in her hand, she hummed as she walked down the street of her neighborhood. It was moments like this which Miura Haru cherished most, the absence of pandemonium in the calm and peaceful tranquility of the early mornings.

Checking her watch, she quickened her steps as she walked past the rows of houses. She remembered the path well, at first she had decided to switch to a different route to get to school earlier but now it had served as another purpose.

"Nearly there." She whispered.

Her footsteps quickened and her breathing became jagged as her pulse quickened from nervousness and anticipation. She spotted the familiar corner, where she had spent most of her mornings in anticipation.

Haru pressed her back against the grey walls, as she tried to keep herself composed. Her breathing had lost its subtlety, the loud, raspy breaths silencing the intense beating of her heart.

_Three…_

She closed her eyes and clenched her hands, her final breath escaped from her rosy lips.

_Two…_

Holding her breath, she refocused her eyes and tried to ease out her nervousness.

_One…  
_  
Smoothing down her uniform, she turned at the corner, her legs starting to feel weak as her eyes caught sight of a figure walking towards her.

"Good morning Tsuna-san!" The girl ran towards the approaching figure.

Waving, the girl approached the young teen who smiled at her as she walked beside him.

"Good morning Haru."

"Ciaosu."

"Hahi! Reborn-chan is also here!" The girl looked down at the infant walking in his usual suit. Haru really adored children, she couldn't stand it when such innocent beings were hurt or exposed to things that would rid them of their purity.

It brought her back to the start of the year; she had misunderstood Tsuna and thought he was being a bad influence on Reborn-chan. She giggled at the memory, causing the young Vongola to cast her a questioning look.

"What's so funny Haru?"

The girl blushed and shook her head, "Nothing."

She loved these mornings, waking up to a beautiful sunrise and walking side by side with her crush. It may sound foolish but these moments were precious to her and chances like these were always hard to come by.

Most of the time, her beautiful and lovey-dovey moments were short lived because there were always people who would interrupt them. Giving him a shy glance she moved passed him and halted him.

"Tsuna-san's tie is not done properly. Haru will fix it for you!"

Tsuna looked down and spotted his sloppy tie, "Ah I can do it myself."

"Let her do it No-good Tsuna."Reborn said.

Smiling, she stepped closer towards him, yanking his tie she preceded with her task.

"Haru…" The boy turned away, slightly embarrassed as other students from his school walked passed.

"AH STUPID WOMAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO JUUDAIME!"

Haru bit her lip in frustration, his timing was impeccable and he always butts in when things were going well between Tsuna and her.

"Gokudera-kun calm down." Tsuna smiled nervously.

"Juudaime, did the stupid woman do anything to you?" The storm guardian circled his boss and shot the girl a nasty look.

"Haru was only helping Tsuna-san tie his tie."

"Pfft," He scoffed, "A stupid woman like you wouldn't know how to tie a tie."

The girl folded her arms and stormed her way towards the delinquent like teen, "Haru is not stupid," She poked him in the chest, "Go-ku-de-ra-san."

He grabbed her hand and glared down at her, "Don't touch me. I don't want to catch your idiocy."

"Guys…"Tsuna watched nervously as the two continued to glare at each other.

Glaring at him for the final time, Haru stomped on his feet and turned away, moving eagerly towards Tsuna.

He clenched his fist and mumbled, "Stupid woman."

"Tsuna-san, Gokudera-san is always so mean to Haru. It makes Haru really sad." The girl whined.

Tsuna smiled, "I'm sure Gokudera-kun didn't mean any harm."

Haru smiled and latched onto the boy's arm, "Tsuna-san is so kind, unlike _some_ people."

She felt him stiffen but made no attempt to push her away. She was celebrating and crying with joy in her mind until she felt someone grab her arm and pulled her away.

"Don't touch Juudaime. You'll infect him with your stupidity!" The Italian barked at her.

"Let Haru go, you can't tell Haru what to do. Tsuna-san didn't mind when I latched onto him, so don't whine."

"Yo." Yamamoto waved and walked towards the group. He spotted Haru and Gokudera fighting and gave Tsuna a smile.

"Both of them are always so energetic."

Tsuna made his escape and hastily made his way towards the baseball fanatic.

"I'm glad you're here, Yamamoto!" Tsuna cried in relief.

"…Juudaime belongs to me…"

"….No…."

"…Haru likes him more than you do!"

"Why you…!"

"Gokudera-san is a boy; you don't stand a chance against Haru…"

"Pfft…I'm more useful…"

"I still get to keep Tsuna-san…"

Tsuna sighed as the two continued to bicker behind him and Yamamoto continued to laugh as he watched them. These were what his mornings were like, it wasn't peaceful at all. His mornings were filled with chaos and nothing makes his mornings any better th-

"Ah, good morning Tsuna-kun."

Yes, nothing makes his mornings any better than to hear the voice of Sasagawa Kyoko.


	2. Obsequious

Hello, it's me again! Thank you for your feedback, I was really relieved when a majority of you thought that the characters were not OOC, that made me really happy!

**thedragonchen**: Thank you for your review!

**xxReb0rnxx**: I'm glad you liked it. Actually the 3 second thing was inspired by this drama I watched called, 'Love Rain'. Thanks for your review!

**KawaiiDessuNee**: I'm am super relieved to hear that! Thank you very much for your review~

**xSohcahtoax**: Oh my what a name! Thank you very much for your review :)

**Ebeul**: The story is set after the future arc and it may be slightly AU. This story is a set of inter-related drabbles and the contention will be clearer in the future chapters but not yet :) Thanks for your review!

**xJuiceb0xes:** Thank you for your feedback, I will keep this in mind but the direction of where this is heading is a bit of a mystery at the moment. Thank you for your review!

**Fennoria:** Thank you for your review :)

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**Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn belongs to Amano Akira.**

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Chapter 2

Obsequious

One would think that they all deserved a break after the feat of saving the future but it was all wishful thinking. For once, the young Vongola didn't mind having a study session for the upcoming exam, heck, he was oddly pumped and excited to get it done and over with.

They had all experienced so much while in the future era, they have grown both mentally and emotionally such that they were very welcoming for a brief moment of normalcy in their hectic lives.

"I get why you're here," The storm guardian turned to eye the baseball player, "But why is _she_here?"

He jabbed his thumb in her direction giving his companions a dumbfounded look. It was after all, a study session for Namimori Middle's mid-year exams and he had doubts about the airhead's motives as she did not attend the same school as them.

"Haru is here to help Tsuna-san revise."

Gokudera sneered, "You? I think I'm enough for Juudaime, who knows what you'll teach him, stupid woman."

"Haru does come from an elite school. Having her here might prove to be useful." Reborn stated as he drank his tea.

Tsuna smiled nervously as Gokudera started to grumble and mutter things, 'elite school my ass'.

Haru beamed at Tsuna, pushing the silver haired teen out of the way she clasped her crush's hands, "Don't worry Tsuna-san. Haru will do her best to help you with your studies!"

Irritated, the self-proclaimed right hand man grabbed the girl and proceeded to drag her out of the room, although he was met with much difficulty.

Pushing her palms against his face, Haru struggled from his clutch, "Let Haru go!"

He winced as a few fingers jabbed the side of his nose as he continued dragging her. Opening the door, he pushed the annoying girl out and slammed the door shut, this time locking it.

"You meanie!" She banged on the door, "Baka! Octopus head! Jerk!"

Tsuna looked out nervously while Yamamoto laughed, "They're always so energetic."

Ignoring her taunts, he smiled down at the remaining occupants, "Juudaime, let's get started!"

The girl sighed in defeat and decided to head downstairs to find something to do. It wasn't fair, she had only wanted to prove herself to Tsuna and be as useful to him as possible. She didn't want to be seen as someone pathetic and she truly didn't want to be a burden to him.

Ever since he had told her the truth about himself, the Vongola, the rings, the tests and Byakuran, it had fueled her desire to be an asset to his family and not have him worry about her. After all, she wanted to be there when he was tired, ready to give him a shoulder to lean on.

"Ah, Haru-chan, are you leaving now?" Nana stepped out from the kitchen and smiled at the girl.

Haru pouted, "Gokudera-san kicked Haru out."

Nana laughed, "We'll leave those boys to themselves. Why not lend me a hand in the kitchen?"

The girl beamed, "I'd love to!"

She gestured for the girl to come over as she brought her attention back to the soup she was boiling. Taking a spoon from the side, she spooned some of the contents and held it out to the young girl.

"Go on, tell me how it tastes." Nana smiled.

Haru nodded and took the spoon. Swallowing its contents, her face lit up and she smiled at the woman before giving her a slight nod.

"Haru thinks this is really delicious. As expected of you Sawada-san!"

The older woman laughed and waved it off, "My my, I think you're being too nice dear."

Haru shook her head and beamed at her, "If Haru thinks it's delicious, it is! We could ask Lambo-chan to try!"

Everyone knew what a gluttonous child Lambo was and to make matters worse, he was also a picky eater. Who could blame him though; after all he did live off the best and probably ate gourmet food while in Italy.

"Lambo-chan!"The girl called out from the kitchen, "We have yummy food!"

Receiving no reply, Haru left the kitchen and decided to search for the mischievous child.

At that same moment, Gokudera descended the stairs in pursuit for a glass of water; he had been wasting too much time scolding Yamamoto to the point that his throat was sore.

"Ah Gokudera-kun, did you need something?" Nana asked.

"I'm only here for a drink, Sawada-san." He replied.

Heading towards the fridge, he took out a bottle of water and took a glass from the shelves.

_I wonder where that girl went…probably went home after I kicked her out_, he thought before he grinned victoriously.

Screwing the cap back on, he brought the glass to his lips and gulped the water down. His body eased up when he felt his throat being soothed by nourishment.

"Ne Gokudera-kun," Nana started as she spooned another helping of soup, "Could you tell me how this tastes?"

"Of course Sawada-san." He replied courteously as he devoured the liquid.

"It's good!" He exclaimed.

Nana smiled, "That's good to hear."

"Hahi!" Haru exclaimed as she carried the scruffy child into the kitchen.

"You're still here?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Haru is staying to help Sawada-san in the kitchen." The girl replied as she set the child down and glanced at the storm guardian.

_Damn this girl! Always a step ahead! She's trying to impress Juudaime's mother!_ He gritted his teeth as he watched the annoying girl move around the kitchen with ease.

"Oh my, you handle onions really well, Haru-chan!"Nana smiled as she watched the girl dice the onions with ease, her knife skills steady and consistent.

"Not really,"Haru smiled shyly, "I learn a lot from home economics class in school."

"Lambo wants to help too!" The child in the cow suit jumped up and down.

Nana laughed, "Lambo-chan as well? Here, why don't you help set the table?"

Gokudera frowned. There was no way he was going to lose to both the stupid woman and _that _bratty kid.

"If you don't mind, Sawada-san," He started, "I would like to prepare today's dinner."

The knocking sound of the knife against the chopping board stopped and Haru turned in surprise.

"Gokudera-kun as well? But I've already prepared the ingredients for today's meal."

Walking over towards the counter, he surveyed the ingredients that had been laid out on the plates. He glanced towards the diced onions on the girl's chopping board before his brows knitted together.

"Sawada-san," he began, "Leave it to me!"

He gestured for the woman to leave the kitchen despite her meek protest. If that woman could do it, so could he. After all, all you needed was a brain to know how to cook, right?

"Oi." He said as he tied his silver hair back into a ponytail.

"Yes?" The girl turned around from her work, looking at him expectantly.

"We're going to make spaghetti."

Absentmindedly the girl nodded and gave him a smile, "Ok! Just tell Haru what to do!"

Checking through the ingredients again, he handed her the tomatoes and the sausages, instructing her to slice the Italian sausages thinly while dicing the tomatoes.

He proceeded to heat up the saucepan, making sure that there was an adequate amount of oil.

Without having to say anything, Haru passed the diced onions to him, much to his surprise and he quickly emptied them into the saucepan. Gokudera took a wooden spoon and started to sauté the onions.

"Gokudera-san, could you do the garlic? She asked as she looked at the uncrushed garlic on the chopping board.

Switching with her, he took the knife and crushed the garlic with ease as she made sure the onions did not burn. He then quickly added the garlic and took charge of the sauce pan again.

Haru worked consistently and in harmony with the boy, surprised that they had not once bickered in the kitchen. It was almost strange as they both knew what each other was doing and did not need to converse at all. When he needed the tomato paste, she already had it in her hands and when Gokudera needed the sausages she was already standing by his side with them.

Nana walked in a few times, mostly because she was worried about leaving the two of them in the kitchen. Yet she was met with surprise as she watched how they both moved about in the kitchen with ease.

The sauce was almost done and the smell began to waft upstairs. Gokudera had the girl try the taste before he seasoned it as per her instructions and the end result was rather pleasing. It didn't take very long for the curious duo to come downstairs, lured by the amorous smell of their cooking.

"Gokudera-kun?!"The young Vongola gasped as he stepped into the kitchen. Before him, the silver haired teen was cooking the sauce while the girl was boiling the spaghetti.

"Smells good," Yamamoto said as he peered into the kitchen, "You guys did a good job."

Nana smiled, "Gokudera-kun and Haru-chan worked so well together," She added, "Haru-chan would make a really good wife."

Said girl blushed from the compliment and sent Tsuna a shy look, "Dinner is almost ready."

_Tsuna-san's mother complimented me!_ She sang cheerfully in her head.

The people in the household sat down at the table as Haru served them the spaghetti.

"Lambo really likes spaghetti!" The child exclaimed as he started to stuff his face.

Tsuna smiled, "Lambo, slow down."

Nana beamed as she tasted the dish, "Oh my, this is really good."

"Gokudera-san did a good job making the sauce." Haru added as she continued to eat hers.

"Hayato, don't get too excited," His sister began, "You are still lacking when it comes to cooking."

"It will take you a lot more than this to beat me. " Bianchi added as she smiled at him.

His stomach churned as he looked into her eyes and a feeling of unease washed over him.

"Crap." He muttered as his stomach gave out a painful wail before he blacked out.

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I did look up a recipe for this: (d0t) com/recipe/jo-mamas-world-famous-spaghetti-22782#ixzz1yL4fPCGK

**_Published: 06/20/12_**

**_Updated: 01/03/13_**


	3. Expectations

It's been too long! I'm finally back and ready to write again. I've been dancing around with this new chapter for awhile, especially near the end of this chapter. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this update!

**SilverLovin**: He is one fine cook ;) It's still a bit too early for any chemistry between them, but it's refreshing to see them working together, without arguing about Tsuna. Oh and I forgot to mention that this fic is similar to inter-related one-shots, rather than one big story!

**Ebeul: **I didn't know that! Now I have more material to work with hahaha. As I mentioned before, rather than viewing this as a story, it would make more sense if you saw it as a series of one-shots that are linked together, which is why Gokudera and Haru are suddenly shoved together in the kitchen XD

**xSohcahtoax: **I would like to know how you envisioned that scene! Thank you for your review!

**xxReb0rnx:** Sorry for the _very long_ wait, chapter 3 is here!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own KHR or the characters. KHR belongs to Amano Akira.

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Chapter 3

Expectations

She had started out feeling energized, her mind sharp and focused as she listened to her teacher highlight the main areas of study which were needed for the high school entrance exams.

"There is no doubt that most of you will be taking the _sankyoka…"_

Her teacher's voice rocketed off the blackboard, resonating across the silent room as pages were hastily turned. The scratching sound of furious pens and the hurried tapping of keyboards filled the silence as their teacher paused briefly.

"…Most of you will have no trouble tackling the Japanese section…"

"Although it is difficult, a majority of our students do well on the English section…"

Haru's pen ran across the page, moving down line by line, dutifully writing down what her teacher said.

_Yes, after today is over it's the weekends! Then Haru will spend her time with Tsuna-san!_

At some point during class, her mind had switched off and refused to absorb any more information that she was being fed. Rather, her mind decided to escape to an oasis of thoughts filled with her beloved Tsuna. His charming smile, the adorable red blush on his handsome face and his melodic laugh-all of the images played through her mind like an endless movie reel.

Smiling, Haru recalled her time at Tsuna's house last week end and how much fun she had cooking with Goku-

_Wait…_

"Haru?"

Her face went rigid and she slowly retraced her thought processes. Since when did she ever associate 'fun' with the violent, rough and uncouth teen who happened to look cute with his hair u-

_No, wait what?!_

_There's definitely something wrong with Haru_, she concluded as she pinched herself.

Gokudera looking cute? The word itself didn't seem to fit with the boy at all. Nevertheless, these kinds of thoughts should never appear in her mind again, they must have subconsciously slipped through her mind.

Perhaps it was because of the stress that was pilling up which caused her mind to run haywire.

_Yes, it must be that and because Haru is still shocked because Gokudera-san was oddly cooperative last week._

Nonetheless, he liked Tsuna, they both did; in their different ways and because of that she saw him as someone worthy enough to be her rival. Although she has constantly told herself that her love for Tsuna transcends the silver haired boy's and she will be the one who'll become victorious but she admired how hard he tried to win Tsuna's affections and acknowledgement.

_Enough about Gokudera-san, Haru must not betray Tsuna-san! Tsuna-san, Tsuna-san, Tsuna-san, Tsuna-san!_ She chanted in her mind like a mantra.

"Haru!" Someone shouted as they slammed their hands on her desk.

"Hahi!"

Haru jumped in her seat and finally noticed that class had ended and her friend, Youko was hovering over her desk wearing an impatient look.

"Aren't you leaving? School's out and you're usually the first to leave…"

"Hahi!"

As realization dawned on her, the daydreamer hastily packed her things. She had missed her chance to wait for her beloved at his school gates. Hurriedly, she dashed out of the classroom and bolted down the hallway.

"No running in the corridors Miura!" A teacher yelled as he caught the student running.

"Sorry!"

"Sorry about that, Sensei." Youko said as she hurried after her friend.

Stumbling past her locker, she took a few steps back, kicking her slippers off and grabbing her shoes out of the box.

"Haru! Don't leave your slipper lying around!" Youko groaned as she cleaned up after her friend.

"Thanks Youko-chan, see you tomorrow!" Haru darted out the school, glancing at her watch worriedly.

_3:07…_

…_Yikes!_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Alright, class dismissed."

The students bowed as the teacher left the room before slouching back into their chairs. Leaning forward, Gokudera loosened up his shoulders before he stood up and stretched his body.

Classes had been boring as usual, the only highlights had been his morning walks with Tsuna and of course their regular lunch session on the rooftop. Now the only thing left to do was to escort the Tenth safely back home.

"Gokudera-kun."

His droopy eyes suddenly lit up and he walked towards Tsuna, "Yes? What is it Juudaime?"

Tsuna scratched his cheek and glanced around uncertainly, a habit he had when he was nervous.

"I'm going shopping with Kyoko-ch-"

"Can I come too?" He tried his best to hide the eagerness in his voice.

"Umm, you see…" The Vongola leaned in closer, "I kinda want it to be just us two…like a date."

"Oh." He replied, instantly plastering a small smile on his face. He knew of the Tenth's feelings towards the boxing enthusiast's sister.

Flashing his best smile, he gave his boss the thumbs up, "Good luck Juudaime!"

The boy blushed, "Thank you for understanding Gokudera-kun…but what about Haru?"

Right. He forgot about the stupid girl.

"Leave it to me, Juudaime. As your right hand man, I will make sure things go smoothly!"

Tsuna smiled and nodded, "Thanks Gokudera-kun."

The storm guardian watched as the teen joined the girl at the door, exchanging smiles before they left together.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Haru hopes Tsuna-san is still there." The girl huffed as she ran towards the school.

From the distance, she could already see the students flooding out the school gates. Urging her tired legs to move, she quickened her pace as she got closer to the school.

_Please, please please, _she chanted as she felt her heart to push against her ribcage from the adrenaline and nervousness.

_3:25_…

She was too late.

Yet, a voice from the back of her head kept reassuring her that it might not be too late to catch up with him.

Moving with the students, she searched through the crowd, hoping to get a glimpse of his brown hair.

Strong hands gripped her arm, trapping her like iron bindings. She struggled to free herself but the grip was too tight.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Let Haru go!" Her fiery brown eyes met with green.

He released her arm and scoffed as she clutched onto it and rubbed it meekly, "He's not here today."

Haru opened her mouth but immediately clamped it shut again. Tsuna wasn't here…but Gokudera was. Somehow the information just didn't settle well with her.

The girl glanced at him, her brows knit together as she tried to think, "Is Tsuna-san sick?"

The silver haired teen remained silent. He assessed the situation. The girl probably wasn't as stupid as he thought she was. Feeding her more lies would probably make it worse, he concluded.

Damn. His life just had to get more complicated.

When the girl received no reply she sighed. The mechanic wheels of her mind started to spin, as she tried to string her thoughts together.

Her shoulders slumped as she drew the conclusion, "Tsuna-san…he left already, didn't he?"

Gokudera scowled and scratched his messy locks, "Listen, about th-"

"It's ok, Haru understands."

A moment of silence followed as the boy stared at her uneasily. If there was anyone who understood the strange girl's affection, it would be him. Both of them regarded the Vongola highly and would stop at nothing just to be by his side, in their own way.

"Haru will take her leave then," She smiled at him, "See you tomorrow Gokudera-san."

Nodding he watched the girl walk away, her shoulders slouched and her head hung low.

Yes, he understood how she felt. He knew of the disappointment and the pain, the sadness and loneliness.

He knew it all too well.

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Explanation of terms:

_Sankyoka_: They are regular entrance exam for private schools in Japan, for the most part, test students on three subjects: English, math and Japanese.

For most of the public schools the exams cover five subjects: English, math, Japanese, science and social studies, thus given the name, _Gokyoka_.


End file.
